8. The Band
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jREUrbGGrgM The Band's sonically unique blend of southern folk and early rock music resulted in an incredibly vibrant catalogue. They fulfilled many roles over their varied career, backing Bob Dylan's tours in the 1960s and continuing to collaborate with him throughout a fruitful studio career of their own. Robbie Robertson was a terrific, distinctive songwriter. Songs like "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "Up On Cripple Creek" and "The Weight" carry a kind of rustic permanence that really couches The Band in the folk traditions they were reared on with Dylan and their earlier collaborator Ronnie Hawkins. Robertson urged the group to orchestrate their own farewell in the epic final concert The Last Waltz, which was accompanied by a Martin Scorsese concert film of the same name. An even cooler "dry run" of sorts for this spectacular show can be found on Rock of Ages. Post-Waltz tours didn't include Robertson, and The Band didn't put out much more original material. This kind of telegraphed exit is almost unexampled in rock history. With a distinct crossover style and some truly monumental credits to their name, The Band and the few groups comparable to them are sorely missed in today's music scene.